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About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online "newspaper" titled "The San Ramon Observer." I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and... (More)

About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online "newspaper" titled "The San Ramon Observer." I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and saved my barbs for my Commentary page. I had some political differences with the City Council at that time and particularly with the majority dubbed "The Gang of Three," by the San Ramon Valley Times. In 2003 new Council members were elected and the Council was more balanced and fiscally conservative, but I continued to write the Observer until 2009. At that point I decided I wanted to concentrate on my commentaries. So I requested a meeting with the editor and publisher of the Danville Weekly about taking over the San Ramon Observer. My timing was very apropos since the parent company, Embarcadero Media, was planning to release an online San Ramon Express that April. I was offered a "blog" under the name "San Ramon Observer" for my commentaries. I like to inform residents about what is happening in San Ramon, especially on city government and local politics. When I don't have anything to write about on those topics, I just write about anything I am doing or thinking about. (Hide)

Tennessee on the Farm

Uploaded: Jun 22, 2012

Forest Home Farm will be the site of three short one-act plays by Tennessee Williams this weekend. This is a fundraiser for the San Ramon Historic Foundation and the Danville Role Players which is the theater group putting on the show.

Donna Kerger, who is on the Historic Foundation, gave me an invitation to mail in. It had two dates, June 23 at 5 pm and June 24 at 2 pm, but no number of seats or locations or names of the plays or anything else. I emailed the Role Players for the names of the plays and more information.

"Hi Rosalind

The plays are The Pretty Trap, 27 Wagons Full of Cotton and The Case of the Crushed Petunias.

Look forward to seeing you 'on the farm'
Wendy Cooper"

So now I knew which plays, but I was still confused about reserving seats or the odd start times. I wanted to ask my sister and her husband in San Francisco if they want to come out on Sunday afternoon for the 2 pm show. My sister said they had to get back by 5 pm. They have an active social life in SF. So I contacted Wendy again for more information. I also found the Danville Theatre website with a front-page invitation to the show.

"Hi Roz

We still have plenty of Sunday afternoon tickets. Unfortunately it is going to be a longish event since we are serving food in between the plays  they could probably take part in two of the receptions and one play - the second play would probably finish about 4:30 or so and everything around 6 pm. It would be easy to leave at any time since it is a casual event.

Could you all make Saturday night instead? If by any chance this will work somehow, we do not have credit cards or PayPal. You would need to send a check to Role Players Tennessee on the Farm, Box 304 Danville, 94526. $50 per ticket, with the date you have chosen and the names of your party. We are not sending tickets but will have name tags for you at the door.

Cheers
Wendy"

I emailed my sister that the show isn't a sit-down but would be acted out in different parts of the farm. They are very familiar with Forest Home Farm because my brother-in-law likes to come out for the annual Sheep Shearing day. He's a big fan of the Border Collies.

My sister wanted to come but my brother-in-law was hit by a car almost a year ago. He was in a crosswalk in San Francisco and knocked down and hurt his hand breaking his fall. It didn't seem too serious at the time. He and my sister came out for my birthday last October and he seemed to be recovering well.

He was scheduled for hand surgery a week or two later and improved after the surgery, but now my sister said he's having trouble balancing and is using a cane to get around.

She felt he wouldn't be able to walk around the farm to see the plays while standing and eating in between. I offered to lend him my walker, which I haven't needed since I bought a new mattress, but she said it would be too uncomfortable for him even with a walker.

So I contacted Wendy again and decided to go to the Saturday night show instead. I mailed my order last Friday. Wendy confirmed receiving my check for $50 last Saturday. So I'm going tomorrow evening.

I offered to promote the show, so that's why I'm writing about it in this Friday's blog but it might be too late to reserve tickets, especially since the Role Players don't take credit cards or PayPal. If you are interested in attending Saturday night or Sunday afternoon, email the Danville Role Players at mail@Danvilletheatre.com or phone (925) 820-1278. I hope to see you all there!

Posted by Roz Rogoff,
the San Ramon Observer,
on Jun 23, 2012 at 9:34 pmRoz Rogoff is a registered user.

It's a version of the Glass Menagerie you never saw before

What if the Gentleman Caller from Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie didn't break poor, timid Laura's Unicorn and they kissed and went out on a date instead? What? Yes! That's the plot of "The Pretty Trap," the first play at Tennessee on the Farm. It's an early version of the Glass Menagerie with a happy ending.

If you never liked the way the play turned out, here's your chance to see Laura and Jim live happily ever after, or at least not be miserable. Her brother Tom doesn't join the Merchant Marine, but stays home and takes care of mom. Yes, Amanda Wingfield is still an overbearing Southern mother, but in the Pretty Trap, Laura manages to escape with her Unicorns intact.

This and two other recently discovered plays by Tennessee Williams are being presented, complete with wine, hors d'oeuvres, and desert at Forrest Home Farm this weekend. There's still time to go; so please head over there on Sunday at 2 pm for the afternoon matinee.

Tickets are $50, which sound pricy, but the money goes to the San Ramon Historic Foundation and the Danville Role Players, and comes with food and entertainment.

Really you ought to go. They will sell tickets at the door on Sunday. Well there isn't really a door, but they have a table set up from the parking lot where you can buy a ticket and see a really interesting show.

Jean Ohman is back in San Ramon too. I asked her when she got back, and she said last night. I asked if she's moving back, and she said no she just came down from Seaside to help with this event. So all of you Tennessee Williams fans, Jean Ohman fans, fans of homemade potato chips (large, fresh, and very tasty), head to Forest Home Farm tomorrow. You will be glad you did.

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